• Shopping Cart
  • Store
  • Testimonials
  • Contact
  • My Account
  • Bar Exam/MPRE Course Access
  • My Supplements
  • 0Shopping Cart
JD Advising
  • Blog
  • Bar Exam
    • Bar Exam Course
    • Bar Exam Private Tutoring
      • Bar Exam Private Tutoring
      • About Our Tutors
    • Bar Exam One-Sheets
    • Bar Exam Mastery Classes
    • Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) Services & Private Tutoring
      • Uniform Bar Exam Course
      • Uniform Bar Exam Private Tutoring
      • MBE Services
        • MBE Course
        • MBE Tutoring
        • Real MBE Questions
        • Multistate Bar Exam (MBE) Mastery Class
        • MBE One-Sheets
        • MBE Guide
        • MBE Diagnostic
      • MEE Services
        • MEE Course
        • MEE Mastery Class
        • MEE One-Sheets
        • MEE Books
        • Bar Exam Essay Feedback
      • MPT Services
        • MPT Guide
        • MPT Seminar
        • MPT Books
        • Bar Exam Essay Feedback
    • MBE Services
      • MBE Course
      • MBE Tutoring
      • MBE Mastery Class
      • MBE One-Sheets
      • Bar Exam Flashcards
      • MBE Guide
      • Real MBE Questions
      • MBE Diagnostic
    • MEE Services
      • MEE Course
      • MEE One-Sheets
      • MEE Mastery Class
      • Bar Exam Essay Feedback
      • MEE Books
    • MPT Services
      • MPT Guide
      • MPT Seminar
      • Bar Exam Essay Feedback
      • MPT Books
    • California Bar Exam Services
      • California Bar Exam Course
      • California Bar & Baby Bar Tutoring
      • California Bar Exam One-Sheets
      • California Essay Exam Mastery Class
      • Bar Exam Essay Feedback
      • FYSLE (Baby Bar Exam) One-Sheets
      • MBE Services
    • Bar Exam Consultation
    • Early Bar Prep
      • Free Early Bar Prep (5 Mins a Day)
      • Free 3L Bar Exam Primer Course
    • On Demand Course Preview
  • Law School
    • Free Law School Prep Course
    • Law School Study Aids
    • Law School Tutoring
    • Legal Writing Tutoring
    • Law School Outlines
    • Free Guide on How to Succeed in Law School
  • MPRE Services
    • MPRE Course
    • MPRE Tutoring
    • MPRE Questions
    • Free MPRE Resources
  • Prelaw
    • FREE Law School Prep Course
    • LSAT Tutoring
    • Law School Application Assistance
    • Prelaw Guide
    • JD Advising’s Scholars Program
    • Free Guide on How to Succeed in Law School
    • Blog
  • Free Resources
    • Free Bar Exam Resources Center
    • Free Webinars
    • Newsletter
    • All Free Resources
  • Menu Menu

Looking to pass the MPRE? Sign up for our free five-star course here!

We are excited to announce that our students had an 88.88% pass rate on the July 2022 bar exam! Check out our bar exam courses here — they are on sale for a limited time!

Inc. 5000 America's fastest growing private companies

Named one of the fastest growing companies in the United States. Thank you for your support!

What Is It Like To Take The Bar Exam In New York?

0 Comments/in Bar Exam

Bar Exam In New York

What Is It Like To Take The Bar Exam In New York?

What Is It Like To Take The Bar Exam In New York?: In this post, a bar exam taker gives her insight into what it is like to take the bar exam in New York!

What Is It Like To Take The Bar Exam In New York?

What locations can I choose from if I take the bar exam in New York?

New York State has multiple locations set up for the bar exam in July. If you are from New York, your assigned bar exam site will be based on where you live. If you are from out of state, like me, you will be assigned to either Albany, Buffalo, or, if there’s an overflow of exam takers, Saratoga Springs. Out-of-staters can then choose from Albany or Buffalo (or Saratoga Springs if that is an option). This part is a bit tricky. If you have a preferred location, you’ll want to stay on top of your email so you won’t miss the sign up for locations (in-state takers have first dibs).

Because of the uncertainty of the city in which you will be able to take the bar, the best advice I received was to book a room in each location and book it early. The rates of hotel rooms closer to the convention centers are more expensive. You will have to weigh the cost-benefits of staying within walking distance or staying a bit out and possibly renting a car or taking a car share service. Some hotels may have shuttles to the convention centers, but those may get full with other bar takers.

The uncertainty of the city in which you will take the bar also makes it tricky to book flights. Both Buffalo and Albany have airports. Albany is only a four hour, lovely train ride from NYC. Other than try to rack up flight points, there is not much you can do to avoid higher costs. I recommend flying in at least the day before, but you may want to adjust based on your timezone and if you would be flying in for the February exam (that’s prime time for a Nor’easter to come through the state).

Luckily for you, New York bar taker, Buffalo, and Albany each have a page devoted to the bar exam on their city websites! This is the best resource for most of your questions about accommodations.

What can you take into the testing room if you take the bar exam in New York?

NY has a pretty standard policy for what you can bring into the room and into the convention centers. In Buffalo, at least, people brought backpacks, larger bags, and luggage into the convention center, but had to check them in their exam room. I am not sure if they had access to them during lunch or if they had to wait until after the exam day was finished.

Everything we brought into the exam room had to fit inside one clear food storage bag. I chose a gallon sized bag. We could bring in drink containers with the labels removed. We could also bring in some quiet snacks. Any food, gum, etc. had to be removed from the packaging. We could have an analog watch, keys, IDs, money, pens, pencils, and ear plugs. We were not allowed to bring in highlighters or cellphones. The New York State Board of Law Examiners has a list of Do’s and Don’ts on the website, so definitely do double check that before the exam in case there are any security policy changes.

What is test day like if you take the bar exam in New York?

I took the bar exam in Buffalo. It takes place in a convention center downtown. I also wrote my exam by hand. Hand-writers were placed in separate rooms from laptop takers. We all sat in rows, two people per table. I felt like I had ample room around me and was not too close to people on either side of me, in front of me, and behind me. The room was equipped with a few pencil sharpeners.

Temperature regulation for multiple rooms in a convention center is hard, so dress in layers. During the first day, the temperature gradually got chillier inside. I wore a sweater and a scarf. The second day was much better regulated. Also, Buffalo is a bit north and close to Lake Erie, so it is a chillier than, probably, Albany.

Try to use the restroom before the exam, but give yourself at least 15 minutes before it starts because the lines, especially from the women’s restroom, will get long the closer to exam time it gets. If you decide to wait until during the exam, you may need to book it down the hall because the restrooms can be quite far from your exam room. Also, you cannot reenter the center until a certain time before the exam commences after the break.

Speaking of break, you can pre-order lunch on exam day. The meal is pretty standard with a sandwich, some sides, and a drink. They have vegetarian options. They are pretty pricey though, but it does alleviate the stress of figuring out what to eat. The line to get your pre-ordered meals was very long, but I am sure it moved quickly. Outside of the convention center is a lovely area to sit and eat. They block the street off for bar takers (probably because we trickle out of the exam like zombies).

If you don’t pre-order your lunch, like me, there are plenty of cheap and quick places to eat all around there. I recommend looking up some options beforehand and mapping out where they are in relation to the convention center if you are unfamiliar with Buffalo. Do not lose track of time. Since we can’t have a cellphone, and for some reason, there was no clock around the convention center, remember to reset your analog clock if you use it to keep track of time. I made the mistake of forgetting to reset it on the second day and I felt completely lost; luckily I was not late, just very early.

The exam itself went smoothly. On the first day after the morning session, we left late because the proctors thought there would be another announcement to let us out after they collected the materials from us. Other than that, the proctors were friendly, understood that everyone was internally screaming, and efficient. Before the exam, someone over the intercom reads the directions. We were supposed to stay in our seats during that time. The proctors attempted to stick with that policy, but some exam takers apparently thought that rule didn’t apply to them. They became upset with the proctors for making them sit back down. So again, use the restroom beforehand!

What is it like if I take the bar exam in New York at the Buffalo site?

The first day of the exam everyone had to be there at 8 am to check in. The second day is more flexible. I would strive to be there at least 15 minutes before. If you are driving into downtown, you will need to account for any morning traffic and to find parking. There were parking garages and lots all around the convention center. Map out your route, drive it, and visit the site the day before.

I would keep your normal morning schedule as much as you can. Stay hydrated, eat brain food (eggs and good grains), drink your caffeinated beverage of choice, maybe not as much though. I did not go to bed too early, but I got as much rest as I could for the situation. The day before, I reviewed notecards but at some point, you won’t retain much new information. I decided that I would stop studying after my flight got in the day before. The rest of the day I chose to relax and take a breather. I also did not study in between exam days. It is important to rest your brain, and you have studied ridiculously hard for the past 2 or so months. You got this.

I stayed with a classmate who is from Buffalo and we made a rule that we would not discuss the exam. Instead, we watched the Bachelorette and ate pizza. On the last day, a group of us went to one of the many breweries in Buffalo and toasted the end of our bar exam experiences. The great thing about taking the bar in Buffalo is that you will be about 20 minutes from Niagara Falls.

After dinner, we all met up again and went to visit the falls. You can go earlier and see them during the day, but I recommend visiting them at night. It was less crowded, you can catch a firework display from the Canadian side, and they light up all the falls, literally highlighting their magnificence. Visit the falls, see some nature, let the mists wash away the stress of the past 2 days, the past 2 months, the past 3 years. When I got to the airport the next day, I just sat there and people watched because it was the first time in years that I didn’t have to do anything.

  • Looking to Pass the Bar Exam?

    Free or discounted resources

    • A five-star UBE course (for as low as $1399.99!) that provides you with the best instruction, outlines, and questions. Preview our course for free here!
    • Our new Free Bar Exam Resource Center, which includes our most popular free guides, posts, webinars, and more!
    • Free popular bar exam guides (on the MBE, MEE, how to pass the bar exam, and what to do if you failed the bar exam) written by bar exam experts!
    • A free Early Bar Prep Course for law students
    • Free bar exam webinars taught by top bar exam experts


    Other resources

    Our most POPULAR and highly rated bar exam resources are:

    • Our On Demand and Premium Bar Exam Courses
    • Bar Exam Private Tutoring by bar exam experts
    • MBE One-Sheets and MEE One-Sheets, CA One-Sheets—rated five stars! Our customers love these supplements!
    • Real MBE questions—the best practice questions available!
    • NEW! Mastery Classes for the MBE, MEE, and CA bar exams (these are effective and engaging classes to review the highly tested areas of law!)

    We also have several additional MBE, MEE, and MPT products available.

Tags: bar exam, New York Bar Exam
Share this entry
  • Share on Telegram
Related posts
failed the bar exam, ube prep course Should I Write or Type the Bar Exam?
first-time bar exam Learn the Law Better by Figuring out Your Learning Style
3 Steps to Improve your Bar Exam Essay Score
0 replies

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search

Categories

TAGS

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Employment
  • We Care
© 2023 JD Advising
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
Three Ways to Have a Better Bar Exam ExperienceSimple MPRE Study Strategies that Work
Scroll to top

By using this site, you allow the use of cookies, and you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

I AgreePrivacy Settings

Cookie and Privacy Settings



How we use cookies

We may request cookies to be set on your device. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website.

Click on the different category headings to find out more. You can also change some of your preferences. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer.

Essential Website Cookies

These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features.

Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site.

We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain.

We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. You can check these in your browser security settings.

Other external services

We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Changes will take effect once you reload the page.

Google Webfont Settings:

Google Map Settings:

Google reCaptcha Settings:

Vimeo and Youtube video embeds:

Privacy Policy

You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page.

Privacy Policy
Accept settingsHide notification only